A Bridge That's Burning
by DreaminOfMyLove
Summary: Sorry this story has obviously been Abandoned. Claire heads to New York to help save the world. She moves in with Peter and chaos ensues. Plaire, obviously. Takes place after Fallout, taking none of what happens in the show afterwards into account.
1. Best Laid Plans

**Title:** A Bridge That's Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Summary:** Claire heads to New York because she can't sit around doing nothing at home. She shacks up with Peter and drama ensues. (and by "shacks up" I don't mean anything dirty, yet.) There is evil Simone as well, because I really don't like her. And some saving the world thrown in for good measure (but that's not really where the focus of this fiction is. I'm not good with real plots).

**Author's Note:** Ok, this first chapter is terrible because I'm just working through some background stuff. It'll probably get better…but it might not. Also, I haven't written a fan fiction in years so sorry if you hate it.

**CHAPTER ONE – BEST LAID PLANS**

Claire looked out the window to the city below. A year ago, this would have seemed impossible. Hell, a year ago she was sure she was Claire Bennett. Now even her name was in question. It seemed that having influential friends was a good thing. Her name was Claire Saunders to everyone she met now. She'd gotten an entirely new identity when she'd come to the city. Like everything else in her life, things hadn't worked out exactly like she'd hoped.

…six weeks earlier…

Claire had to get away. She knew it now. Despite her best efforts to play the part of clueless teenager, she knew she wouldn't be able to stick around much longer. Something was happening, something big. She could feel it now. Back when she first got her "powers" she'd felt freakishly alone. She became so wrapped up in herself that she didn't stop to consider the possibility of there being greater things at work. She'd remained oblivious until that day when she'd seen pure evil at work. But strangely, it wasn't the evil that occupied her mind. It was the bravery she'd seen in one person. Peter Petrelli. The person who made her realize she wasn't alone in this world. And now, she was going to find him.

When she'd first asked him, the Haitian hadn't been forthcoming about Peter's whereabouts. Still, it hadn't been hard to figure out where to find him. A quick Google search of his name brought up several stories about his brother, his family, and of course, himself. When she'd informed the Haitian that she was going to New York, he did not act at all surprised. He even smiled when he said, "I expected that you would do a little research. You'll need this." He handed her a slip of paper with an address on it and a train ticket. Claire was livid. "Why couldn't you have just given this to me in the first place?" "I could not tell you what to do. You needed to make the decision yourself." He replied, before walking away. Claire was left alone once again.

The next thing she had to do was plan her escape. Fortunately, fate seemed to be on her side in this endeavor. After seeing her appear to be perfectly normal for a week, her father apparently had decided she would be safe at home. He was planning a "business trip" the following week. Coincidentally, her cheering squad was traveling to Houston for a competition that week. So Claire packed for "Houston." At the last rehearsal before leaving, she sustained an "injury" on her left ankle. She was sure to let all of her teammates hear the crunch of a really bad sprain. She was able to limp off and drive herself to the doctor. Of course, she didn't actually go to the doctor. She simply went home, waited a few hours, and called some of her teammates to let them know she wouldn't be able to make it to Houston. She didn't tell her mother any of this, of course. So the next day she pretended to drive over to a friend's house to carpool to the airport. Her paranoia seemed to be growing. She had even left her cell phone at home. Who knew what her father was capable of? He could probably easily trace her cell phone. Also, it would help with not having to keep contact with her mother on the trip. She would simply call her mother from a pay phone when she got to New York and tell her that she'd forgotten her cell phone at home. So she probably wouldn't get a chance to call her much. So Claire actually headed over to the airport and parked her car in the parking lot. She then grabbed a cab to the train station. Everything was done in such a hurry that she didn't have a moment to think. But now, sitting in a train car she was alone with her thoughts. 

She had been thankful to find two seats empty when she'd gotten on the train. It appeared that another local high school was having a band/chorus trip to New York that week. So the train was almost full of teenagers. Claire had been relieved because it was highly unlikely that anyone at the station would remember her. Any other day and there probably wouldn't have been anyone getting on the train in Odessa. As she looked around, she noticed that her particular car was populated with just a few adults. She assumed they had all migrated to this car to get away from the rambunctious teens.

"What will I do when I get there?" Claire thought to herself. The Haitian had warned her not to try and call Peter as her father could easily access her phone records. She had silently scoffed since he hadn't even given her a phone number to call in the first place. So now she had no idea if Peter would be there or willing to help her. He'd asked her if by saving her, he had saved the world. She had no idea what he meant but she was sure as hell gonna try and figure it out. And maybe, she'd find something to live for in the process.


	2. In The Flesh

**Title:** A Bridge That's Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Summary:** Claire goes to New York, where things don't go as planned.

**Author's Note:** Still working on making this less sucky.

**CHAPTER TWO – IN THE FLESH**

Claire Bennett was sitting alone in a cafe staring out the window. She'd arrived safely in New York and has reasonably sure that she hadn't been followed. When she'd first gotten off the plane, she had fully intended on heading over to Peter's place. But she'd been struck with an idea as she walked by the airport hair salon. She quickly made a detour to get a makeover. After it was all done, Claire hardly recognized herself. Her always blond hair was now a very dark shade of brown. She'd gotten it cut to about her collar bone. She now had some long layers in the front and even some long bangs that swept to the side, obscuring part of her face. The stylist had been super friendly since she was usually only able to give a few businessmen a quick trim. She'd even done Claire's makeup at no charge. She had smoky eyes and red lips, which were apparently all the rage. Now wearing black pants and a cream blazer, Claire definitely didn't look like the 17 year old cheerleader she was. She looked like a fashionable 20-something. She was just hoping that her disguise was good enough that anyone working with her dad would recognize her. After finishing up at the salon, she'd taken a taxi to the address the Haitian had given her. She remembered that he had said that Peter was being watched so she decided to wait in the café across the street until she saw him either coming or going. She'd even brought her laptop so she blended in quite nicely with the other young professionals working on their lunch breaks.

After what seemed like days, Claire finally spotted someone who could be Peter walking out of the apartment building. She quickly grabbed her things and her cup of coffee. She quickly crossed the street, thankful that it wasn't particularly busy and that Peter didn't seem to be in a rush. She'd planned it pretty well. She'd accidentally bump into him, spill her coffee somewhere on him, and ask him if she could buy him a cup as an apology. The plan started off well. She'd caught up with him, slowed her pace, walked by him while accidentally bumping into him. She'd even spilled the coffee on his jacket sleeve. But he barely noticed. Claire could tell he was in a world of his own. He only glanced at his sleeve and shrugged. When she muttered, "I'm so sorry. Can I get you a cup of coffee to make it up to you." He'd only shaken his head, "It's ok." As he started to walk away, Claire reached out to grab his arm. "I'd really like to buy you one…Peter Petrelli." She'd whispered his name, but it was enough to catch his attention. He looked up at her then. It took a moment for recognition to cross his face. But then he smiled, that crooked smile that Claire had found so endearing. Although, she hadn't had much of a chance to see it. "Claire." He said. It was almost a question, as if he didn't believe she was there. "In the flesh." She said, with a slight giggle. The giggle surprised her. It was something that was so normal a couple of months ago. But she hadn't felt normal in a while. But she wasn't surprised that she felt normal now because she was with Peter.


	3. Mr Popularity

**Title:** A Bridge That's Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Summary:** Claire goes to New York, where things don't go as planned.

**Author's Note:** Still working on making this less sucky. And the title does have a point. Just not yet.

**CHAPTER THREE – MR. POPULARITY**

That day, Peter had woken up from a nap in a cold sweat. No matter how many times he had the dream, it still terrified him. Frankly he just had a lot to deal with. He was obviously the cause of the explosion that could potentially destroy New York. But somehow, he had to stop it. If only he could figure out how the cheerleader fit into it all. No, she had a name now, Claire. As he stepped into the street from his apartment, he smiled. She'd called him her hero. Despite staring evil in the face, she'd been trusting enough to talk to him. She thought he was good, and he'd fight like hell to prove her right.

When he'd first gone to the high school in Odessa, it was like a time warp. He thought back to how much easier life was when he was in high school. True when he was a teenager, he'd thought his typical teenage worries were the end of the world. Now he knew better. Of course he didn't tell that to the blond he bumped into in the hall. He wasn't going to scare an innocent girl with talk about the world ending. She seemed to know the cheerleader and hopefully he could keep it that way. He was hoping that whatever he did tonight would stop whatever disaster was coming. It was funny, the moment he looked at her he felt a sort of bond. He couldn't explain it at first. But then she'd mentioned not winning any popularity contests and he assumed that was it. He wasn't popular in high school. Sure he had his group of friends but he was never Mr. Popularity. No, Nathan had taken that crown. He'd just been Nathan's quiet, quirky little brother. He could understand how this girl might feel invisible next to a cheerleader who'd stepped into a fire to save someone. But still, she was beautiful which was definitely something. He wondered if people in this school were blind or just dumb. She'd be the most popular girl in school if she'd gone to his. Peter shook his head as she walked away. "Beautiful." He'd almost told her that aloud. She was just a kid. She was a beautiful child. That was it. And Peter almost convinced himself that was what he'd meant.

He'd meant to forget this girl despite the fact that she'd felt like a kindred spirit. He had more important things to think about. But things weren't as they appeared, she wasn't just some girl. No, she was the cheerleader that he had to save. It was funny since she was the one that really saved him. Aside from stalling the killer, he hadn't really done much in her defense. She was the one who had obviously sustained injury and healed herself. And she was the one who had allowed him to heal himself after the fall. But she'd called him her hero. His mind had often come back to that meeting in the jail cell. He wanted to give her answers, but he didn't have any. All he knew was that he was supposed to save her to save the world. He'd felt like hell that day but when he was talking with her he felt better. He wasn't sure if it was her healing abilities or something else. But he still felt that connection, like it was right that they were together. Despite all of the "end of the world" talk and the crazy killer experience, she'd been so happy to be with him. He understood now that she had real problems and they weren't any easier than his. Here she was struggling with her ability without the knowledge that she wasn't alone. At least he knew others with these abilities. He hated to leave her here to deal with it on her own, but what could he do? He only hoped that the disappearing killer didn't return.

He didn't have a chance to think about any of this since he'd fallen into a coma immediately after leaving the hospital. His brother had flown him back to New York where he lay in a hospital bed for a week. He'd had that terrible dream, or was it a dream? He hadn't saved the world yet. But Claire was there and now he had to figure out what his next step should be. He'd only been out of the hospital for a day. When he'd left the hospital he wanted to avoid his family for the time being. He needed to figure things out on his own. He didn't want to put anyone at risk. But he had to come back to his apartment to grab some things.

That morning, he'd meant to only shove some things into his backpack and leave. But fatigue got the better of him. He was planning on lying down for just a minute but he'd fallen asleep for a few hours. He was upset when he finally woke up to find that he'd lost track of time. He quickly grabbed his backpack and exited the apartment and that's when he started thinking of Claire again.

As he walked down the street he started debating on whether or not to call her. He still didn't have any answers, but he'd like to know how she was doing. Granted, he didn't have her number but he figured it would be easy enough to track down. It was then that he felt someone bump into him and subsequently spill something wet and hot on his pants. It wasn't a big deal so he declined the person's offer to buy him a cup of coffee. That was of course before she'd said his name. It was a mix between the familiarity of her voice and the fact that she knew him that intrigued him. When he looked at her, it took him several moments to figure out who she was. She looked completely different. Her hair was different. Her makeup was different. Even her clothes were different. But it was that smile that first told him who she was. Her face had lit up when he'd looked at her. It was the cheerleader. It was Claire.


	4. The Girl in the Cafe

**Title:** A Bridge That's Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Summary:** Claire goes to New York, where things don't go as planned.

**Author's Note:** Yeah I was just thinking about the time line of when the explosion is supposed to happen and this story will probably not follow it. It'll just go off on its own merry way. Also, sorry for short chapters but I just write what I want and post.

**CHAPTER FOUR – THE GIRL IN THE CAFE**

Claire self-consciously tucked stray hair behind her ear. Peter hadn't said anything for a while. They were still standing in the street near his apartment. "I had to try and disguise myself. My dad _can't_ find me." She blurted out. Peter, snapped out of his revelry, looked confused for a moment. "Why don't we get that cup of coffee?" He suggested. Luckily there was another coffee place around the corner. Claire didn't want to risk looking suspicious by walking back into the same one.

Claire slid into the booth as Peter slid onto the bench across from her. He was still staring at her. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. She looked down at the menu, breaking eye contact. They sat in silence until the waitress returned to take their order. "Just coffee. Black." Peter said. Claire looked up, "Diet Coke, please." Now that the waitress was gone, Peter looked up at Claire again. "So tell me what's going on." She'd been waiting for this, but she wasn't sure if she could make it through the story without getting emotional. She didn't want Peter thinking she was a baby. "I…um…don't know where to start." She said finally. "Why don't you start with what happened that night." He suggested. So Claire told him. She'd expected it to be harder but once she started, everything just poured out. Her father grounding her, Zach sneaking her out, her fight with Jackie, and all the horrible events that followed. She went on to tell him about telling her father about her ability. Then she told him about discovering that her father had Zach and her brother's memories erased. She told him about her discussion with the Haitian and how hard it was for her to keep up appearances. Finally she told him about her preparations for the trip, why she couldn't tell him she was coming, and her sudden transformation. "And so now I'm here and you don't have to help me. I just didn't know where else to go…" She said trailing off. She looked down, not wanting to look at him. "What was I thinking? Why would he want to help me? Here I am some random teenager showing up at his doorstep with a crazy brainwashing fake daddy on my tail." She thought to herself.

Peter was silent for a moment. It was a lot to take in. Her father was obviously very involved in whatever was happening. From Claire's story, Peter could tell that her father wouldn't give her up without a fight. But that wasn't Peter's primary concern at the moment. He hated to see how scared and alone she looked. He wanted to make her feel like she wasn't alone. He wanted to make her smile.

Peter reached his hand across the table and laid it on hers. "Hey if you're holding out for a hero, I might be your man." He said, teasingly. Claire was a little startled by the feel of his hand on hers. But it was exactly what she needed. She just wanted to feel close to someone. She just wanted to trust someone. When she finally looked up at him, she saw his crooked smile and was relieved. She smiled despite that tears that had started rolling down her cheeks, "Yeah, I guess you'll do."


	5. Can I Be Yours?

**Title:** A Bridge That's Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Summary:** Claire goes to New York, where things don't go as planned.

**Author's Note:** Just FYI, Claire's not 15 in this story. I can't believe she's 15 anyway. I'll say she's 17, almost 18 for good measure.

**CHAPTER FIVE – CAN I BE YOURS?**

"Ok. Wait 10 minutes and then come up." Peter said as he got up to leave the café. Claire smiled, "Peter, you don't have to clean up for me. I have a brother. I know how boys live." Peter gave her a sheepish grin, "Yeah well you don't know how men live." Claire blushed. She hadn't meant to imply he wasn't an adult. "Ok. I'll be up in 10 minutes." She said finally. Peter, sensing her discomfort, said, "Claire. I was only kidding. Boys, men, we're all slobs." "Ok, then. I'll be fine as long as there aren't any bugs. I hate bugs." She said with a shudder. "No bugs…well no dangerous bugs." Peter said as he finally left.

Claire was left to think about her situation. She felt reasonably sure that Peter didn't mind too much that she'd come to him. He seemed like the type of person who liked helping people. Claire liked to think she was starting to be like that. When she was growing up, she didn't care much about anyone but herself. She loved her family of course. But she'd never really gone out of her way to help other people. Sure, she did community service activities but those were obviously to pad her college applications. Not until that fire had she really done anything to help anyone. And even then, she wasn't risking much. She knew she wouldn't get hurt. So now she was in New York and she was planning on helping Peter save the world. The brief time she'd spent with him had convinced her that he was exactly the person for the job. She wouldn't mind being the sidekick to his hero.

About five minutes had passed before Claire started thinking about something else. "Oh my god. What if he's living with someone?" She obviously wasn't thinking of a roommate. "What if there's like a naked girl in his apartment and that's why he has to go up first?" Claire's mind starting conjuring images of super model girls lounging naked in his living room. The idea made her nauseous. "Get a grip, Claire. He thinks you're a kid. And what do you want from him anyway?" She said to herself.

But Claire knew what she wanted. It had taken her about 2 minutes to realize she was attracted to Peter. It was different with the quarterback (she preferred to not refer to him by name). Then, she'd just been curious. He was attractive and popular and he was interested in her. But things had moved way too quickly. While she was with Peter, she found herself wanting him to just look at her. She wanted his heart to beat faster like hers did when he'd touched her hand. But it was highly likely that Peter already had someone who made him do that. He was a gorgeous, kind person. And she was sure that any girl would jump at the chance of being with him. Claire's mind was wrapped up in these thoughts when she realized ten minutes had passed. She grabbed her bag, which she was tired of lugging around New York, and left the café.

Claire waited outside of Peter's apartment door. She'd knocked only a second before. She could here shuffling going on behind the door. She listened for any other voices, female voices, but didn't hear any. Finally she heard the lock turn and the door open. Peter was standing there, looking slightly nervous. "Well, here it is. It isn't much but it's home." He said, smiling. Claire was relieved to see he was alone. She was sure that if there had been a girl in the apartment she wasn't there anymore.

Claire looked around at the apartment. It was fairly clean, just lots of books and things filling the space. The living room was small but cozy. The kitchen was the same. She could see a door sitting ajar, which she assumed was the bedroom. "It's nice." She said quietly. "Thanks." Peter said. "So can I just put my stuff over there?" She asked pointing to a space between the couch and the wall. "No, you're taking the bedroom. I had to change the sheets so it took me a bit." He replied. "Peter, I'm not gonna take you're room." She said simply. "Yes you are. The couch is perfectly fine for me. I sleep on it all the time." Peter answered. "So then it'll be perfect for me. Peter, how am I supposed to feel comfortable here if I know I've kicked you out of your room?" She asked, sounding upset. Peter realized that she was right. He couldn't imagine feeling comfortable somewhere if he felt like he was inconveniencing them. He knew Claire already felt that way since she'd told him that repeatedly. "Ok then. I just want you to be comfortable." He agreed. "Thank you Peter." She said, relieved.

"I'll just get some sheets and stuff for you. There's a closet over there if you want to put your things in there. There's a dresser in there that I don't use." He said going back into his room to get some blankets. "Thanks, I'll do that." Claire said as she walked to the closet. She opened it to reveal a pretty expensive looking dresser. She started putting her things away. "This is really nice, why don't you use it?" She asked, when he came back into the room. "Oh, it was a gift from my brother. It's not really my style." He explained. Claire looked back and silently agreed. Peter wasn't exactly the antique dresser sort of guy. Claire finished putting her things away and turned to look for Peter.

He had just finished folding a blanket and placed it on a rather large pile of other bedding items. Noticing her gaze, he said, "I just want to make sure you're warm enough." She smiled, "Thanks Peter, I appreciate it." "So is there anything else you need?" Peter asked. "Actually yeah. Is it ok if I take a shower?" She asked. "Yeah sure. There are towels on the rack, they're clean." He replied. Claire carried her toiletries and a change of clothes to the bathroom. "I'll be out here if you need me." Peter said. "I think I'll be ok." Claire said with a laugh. Peter tried to joke, "Well you might need some help…" His voice trailed off as he realized what that sounded like. Claire only laughed harder at his discomfort. "I'll keep that in mind." She said as she shut the bathroom door.


	6. We'll Save the World

**Title:** A Bridge That's Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Summary:** Claire goes to New York, where things don't go as planned.

**Author's Note:** ok, Claire is 17. Claire is not related to Peter in any way (um, spoiler?). Darn those heroes people for ruining my dream…and thanks to those people who've reviewed. I'd forgotten you got those on here. Oops. Ok, on to it.

**CHAPTER SIX – WE'LL SAVE THE WORLD**

Claire reached for the towel hanging on the rack outside of the shower. She quickly dried herself off, while thinking about her situation. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Despite everything she felt reasonably safe here. Something about Peter made her feel like that. Of course she felt something else when she was around Peter. It was a feeling she knew she shouldn't feel and wouldn't be returned. She'd actually liked seeing Peter's discomfort earlier. It meant that he at least acknowledged that she wasn't exactly a child. That's all she wanted. For now. Claire shook her head again. "Stop!" She told herself. "Ok, I'm going to find out if he has a girlfriend and then I can put this all behind me." She decided. She ignored the voice in her head asking what she'd do if he didn't have a girlfriend and what she'd do to steal him away even if he did.

After struggling to put on her clothes in the steamy room, Claire finally exited the bathroom. She was wearing a pair of cargo pants and an oversized black hoodie. When she stepped into the living room, Peter turned around on the sofa. He smiled as he took in her appearance. She looked more like a teenager now, but not exactly what he expected. "What?" Claire asked, self-consciously. "I don't know. I guess I was expecting something more…cheerleader-ish." He replied. "As if that's even a word. And I'll have you know that not all cheerleaders wear all pink and shout 'go team!' all day long." She said as she sat down on the couch next to him. "Well then, I'm wrong. I'm sorry." Peter said a chuckle. "You're not. But I'm not going to be mad at my one and only hero." Claire said. "I was thinking about that. You know, you saved me too. I would have died if you weren't there.' Peter said. Claire hadn't really thought of it. "What does that make me? We can't have two heroes." She said. "I guess that makes you my angel. My one and only Angel." At some point during their conversation, they had both moved a little closer together. And while speaking the last words, Peter had placed his hand on Claire's. They sat in silence for a minute, both feeling a strange connection. The silence was broken by the sound of Peter's phone ringing in the background.

Peter pulled his hand off Claire's and looked away. The phone continued ringing. "Aren't you gonna answer that?" Claire asked, quietly. Peter was so used to avoiding phone calls that he'd almost forgotten it might seem weird to her. "Oh, well. I've sort of been hiding out." He explained, vaguely. "Oh I'm sorry if I'm in you're way." Claire said. "No. You're not. It's just I've got a lot to deal with. I'm still trying to figure out my own powers. I can't really handle everyone else's." He said. "Peter, speaking from experience, I think we're all trying to figure them out." Claire replied. "You're right. I just…" Peter trailed off.

"So who have you been hiding out from? Just other people like us?" Claire asked. "Everyone actually. I haven't spoken to anyone since I left the hospital." Peter explained. "The hospital?" Claire asked. "You didn't know…After I got out of jail I sort of collapsed outside of the building." Peter explained. Claire gasped but kept silent, waiting for Peter to continue. "I was in a coma for a while, and I just kept having these dreams…visions." Peter said, unsure of whether to go into detail. "What did you dream about?" Claire asked. Peter looked at Claire and decided to just tell her. She had trusted him this far. He only hoped she would believe him. So Peter told her his dream and his fears that he was the cause of an explosion that would blow up New York. He filled her in on the connections to Hiro and Isaac. "The explosion that Hiro saw, the burning man…It's me and I have to figure out how to stop it." Peter said. As usual, he'd gotten aggravated and practically shouted the last words. "You probably think I'm crazy. Or if you don't you probably want to get the hell away from me." Peter said, quieting down. "Peter." Claire said. He looked up at her with something like desperation in his eyes. "I'll help. Whatever happens, I'll help you." She said. Peter looked at her and saw that she meant it. "Why?" He asked. Claire smiled and answered,"You saved the cheerleader. Now we'll save the world."


	7. Little Moments

**Title:** A Bridge That's Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Summary:** Claire goes to New York, where things don't go as planned.

**Author's Note:** Just so you know, I'm not worrying about what happens on the show. This story takes place after Fallout and doesn't take any of that into account. I just put that note because I didn't want anyone thinking I was putting together two relatives. Personally, I think fan fiction is for people to write what they want to happen not what they think can or will happen. Ok, enough rambling. Still short, but I'm busy and I pretty much write this scene by scene.

**CHAPTER SEVEN – LITTLE MOMENTS**

Peter's plans had changed. He had wanted to get away to try and figure out what he had to do. It just made sense to cut out the people in his life. He didn't think they'd believe him and he didn't want to put them in danger. But when Claire had shown up outside his apartment, he had no choice but to stick around. And now he was nowhere closer to finding out how to stop himself from destroying New York.

He tended to brood. He'd always been the sensitive one in the family. So things just tended to have a bigger emotional effect on him than others. And this time wasn't any different. He'd sit in silence for long stretches of time just thinking. On this particular morning, he was wracking his brain trying to figure out where the guy in his dreams might be. He was sitting in his bedroom with the curtains drawn. And out of nowhere he heard loud singing coming from the living. He smiled as he walked over to his door. She always made him smile now matter how much brooding he was doing.

Claire was lying on the couch, blankets still covering her. She'd gotten up only to reach over and turn on the TV. She'd heard Peter shuffling around in his room earlier and assumed he was brooding again. In the couple of days she'd been living with him, Peter spent half of the time brooding. Up until now she'd just left him alone when he was holed up in his room. But Claire had decided that enough was enough. So she turned on the TV to CMT, the country music channel, and started singing the first song that played at the top of her lungs. It was a few minutes before she heard Peter opening his bedroom door.

"Oh I'm sorry Peter, did I wake you?" Claire said, not attempting to sound sincere. "Oh don't worry. I love to wake up to girls singing…what is that…country music?" Peter asked. "I'm from Texas." Claire said simply. The video had ended and another one had started. "Oh Carrie Underwood. I love this song." Claire said as "Before He Cheats" started playing. "I know her. American Idol, right?" Claire turned to Peter, "You watch?" She asked with a shocked look on her face. Peter smiled, "One of the ladies I helped loved it. She asked me to watch it with her every once in a while." Claire smirked, "Sure she did." Claire started to hum along, too self-conscious to sing now that Peter was right next to her. "I always wanted to audition." She said wistfully. "Why didn't you. You're actually pretty good, from what I heard." Peter said. Claire blushed, "I'm not good with criticism. I don't know…I've never been the most confident person. I don't think you can make it if you aren't confident in yourself." Peter looked at Claire in disbelief. Here was a girl who was so physically strong but still wasn't confident in herself. "You're a special person Claire. You shouldn't worry about what other people think." He said. "You sound like my mother. It's just so much harder in high school." Claire said, sounding frustrated. It was moments like these that Peter remembered how much older he was than Claire. Claire sighed and got up off the couch. Peter's gaze was instantly drawn to her legs, which were barely covered in the shorts that Claire was wearing. She was petite, but her legs were perfectly proportioned, toned, and tan. His gaze traveled upward to the portion of her stomach which was exposed as she stretched her arms above her head. The skin was still tan and toned. It made him wonder if she wore bikinis in the summer. As his gaze moved further upward, Peter noticed how well her tank top hugged her curves. It was moments like these that Peter forgot how much older he was than Claire.


	8. Nice to Meet You

**Title:** A Bridge That's Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Summary:** Claire goes to New York, where things don't go as planned.

**Author's Note:** Wrote part of this right after I wrote the last chapter. Up until know it's just been Peter & Claire. Now the other Heroes will come into play.

**CHAPTER EIGHT – NICE TO MEET YOU**

Once Claire took it upon herself to distract him from all of his brooding, Peter was helpless to stop her. Fortunately she wasn't exactly trying to keep his mind off of it; she just wanted to help him figure it out. So Peter started telling her the details of the dream and what he thought it all meant. "I'm sure this guy I keep seeing has something to do with it. I think he can help me. I just don't know who he is or where to find him." Peter said, with a bitter laugh. Claire hated when he sounded like that. It scared her to see him almost defeated. She moved from the other side of the couch where she was sitting next to him. She grabbed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. "Well, what does he look like?" She asked. "He's this tall guy…" Peter trailed off. He was terrible at describing people. "That helps. Maybe if you drew him or something." Claire suggested. "I don't dr…" Peter trailed off again. He could draw if he was around Isaac. Claire realized what he must be thinking. "Oh yeah. The artist. Why don't you go see him? Maybe he or even you can draw the guy and figure out where to find him." Claire suggested. Peter was silent for a moment, guilt overtaking him.

Here he was, perfectly content with Claire's head on his chest and her fingers intertwined with his. And Simone was on a business trip, thinking he was still in a Coma. He'd gone to see his brother and mother a few days earlier to let them know he was ok and was going to be lying low in his apartment. Simone had asked Nathan to call her when and if he got out of the Coma. But Peter asked Nathan not to call. When Nathan asked why, Peter just said that he had some things to figure out and he'd do it better alone. He hadn't told his family about Claire. He figured they wouldn't understand. He'd rationalized not calling Simone, by telling himself he just wanted to protect her. And frankly, it probably was easier to think about things without her there. He was pretty sure she still didn't fully believe him.

So for the past two weeks, Claire and Peter had stayed together relatively isolated. Claire had been content to stay in the apartment most days. She was still afraid her father would find her. She'd never called her mother and figured her father would just wipe her memory like he had her brother. She was just hoping her father wouldn't come looking for her in New York. Occasionally she and Peter would go out to get something to eat or to take a walk in the evening. But mostly, she just stayed in the apartment. She hadn't met Hiro, time-traveler, yet. He was off on some mission to obtain a mystic sword. And Nathan, Peter's flying brother, was off limits. So that left Isaac, the painter of the future. But anytime Peter talked about him, she sensed there was some tension between the two. So she left it alone. She had been hoping to meet some other people like her and Peter, but she supposed she could wait. But now it seemed like Isaac was their only hope. Claire waited for Peter to respond.

Peter was unsure of what to say. He hadn't told Claire about Simone. He knew Claire had a crush on him and didn't want her to feel awkward around him. He silenced the voice that told him he might feel something for Claire too. But he knew he couldn't keep quiet forever. Simone was supposed to be coming back next week. He decided to tell her, but was stopped by the sound of eager knocking on his door. Peter started to panic. What if it was Simone? But then again, no one was supposed to know Claire was there. He looked over at her, but she had already started walking toward the bedroom. "I'll just wait in there." She whispered. Peter nodded and walked over to the door. The knocking continued until he opened the door. He was genuinely shocked by the person standing in the doorway.

It was an Asian man with an enormous grin. Peter recognized him as Hiro, but he wasn't sure if it was future Hiro or present Hiro. "Peter Petrelli. I am Hiro. This is Ando." The man said. Peter assumed it was present Hiro. Future Hiro had already met him. "We've met." Peter said as he turned to Ando. It was funny to think he hadn't already met Hiro. He'd gone off on his own mission, asking Nathan to tell Peter about it when he came out of his coma. "Come on in." Peter said finally. "You saved the cheerleader. Did you save the world?" Hiro asked. "I don't think so. Not yet anyway." Peter said. Hiro looked disappointed. "Oh." "Did you find the sword?" Peter asked. Hiro's silence indicated that he hadn't. "We got in some trouble." Ando explained. He them went on to tell the story of attempting to steal the sword and realizing it was a replica. "Did you find out anything from the cheerleader?" Hiro asked, finally. This reminded Peter that Claire was still in the bedroom. He jumped up, "Oh well, we're still trying to figure it out. Do you want to meet her?" Peter asked, moving toward the bedroom. Ando and Hiro looked at each other in confusion. "Ok." They both said simultaneously.

Peter opened the door and called for Claire. Claire had been sitting in the corner of the room. She got up and walked towards Peter. "There are some people who want to meet you. Hiro and Ando." Peter said. Claire smiled. She was finally going to meet some more people like her. She followed Peter out of the room. When she finally saw them, she waited patiently for Peter to introduce them. "Hiro, Ando, this is Claire. Claire this is Hiro and Ando." Peter said. "Hi." Hiro said immediately. Claire smiled, "Hi." "She doesn't look like the picture." Ando said. Claire self-consciously tucked an errant hair behind her ear. "Oh well I had to disguise myself. I'm sort of hiding out." She explained. "Yes. We know what it's like to have people after us." Ando said. "So, any chance I can see some of your powers?" Claire asked, hopefully. Hiro frowned. "He can't use his powers until he finds the sword." Ando explained. "Oh. I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll find it. Isaac painted it, right? Then you'll definitely find it. Everything else he painted came true, right?" Claire said, trying to make him feel better. Hiro perked up, "Cheerleader is right!" Claire was happy she had made him feel better.

"Do you have a power?" Hiro asked, feeling better. "Oh no. Here we go again." Peter said, jokingly. Claire had demonstrated her ability quite enough in his opinion. Even if he knew she wasn't going to stay injured, he hated seeing her get hurt in the first place. Claire laughed, "Be quiet and just hand me that knife." Peter nodded, grabbing a knife off the counter, "Yes ma'am."


End file.
